'Trump administration restarted Quad, it deserves credit for take-off': Jaishankar
What's the story
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that he expects continued support from United States President-elect Donald Trump for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).
The Quad is an intergovernmental group of India, Australia, Japan, and the US.
Jaishankar credited Trump's first administration for playing a pivotal role in reviving the Quad in 2017 and elevating it to the foreign minister's level by 2019.
Trump admin
'Trump administration deserves a lot of the credit'
"In 2020, when there was almost a global lockdown, one of the few physical diplomatic meetings which took place in..2020 was actually a Quad meeting in Tokyo."
"So, if I were to go by the past record, in fact, I would argue that the Trump administration deserves a lot of the credit for the takeoff of the Quad in its second incarnation and the fact that the Quad has since advanced would only validate their judgment," Jaishankar said.
Role clarification
Jaishankar dismisses concerns over India's role in Quad
Jaishankar also addressed apprehensions about India being seen as a weak link in the Quad.
He said all four countries have had different views at times, recalling past notions of Japan and Australia being weak links in the grouping.
The minister further stressed that Trump's view on alliance burden-sharing doesn't apply to the Quad as it works on a principle of equitable contribution from all members.
Upcoming summit
India to host next Quad summit, Jaishankar discusses China relations
Speaking at the India-Japan Forum, Jaishankar also spoke about India's ties with China.
He noted the past stability but emphasized problems like imbalanced trade and market access challenges that have affected bilateral ties since the 2020 standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
"We still have challenges...We still have to de-escalate because what we have done is disengage forces from close proximity...Now, we have to sit down and discuss with China how we rebuild our relationship," he said.
Tech partnership
Jaishankar highlights potential India-Japan collaboration in semiconductors
Jaishankar also highlighted the scope of India-Japan cooperation in the semiconductor space, stressing on its geopolitical importance.
He said both countries are strengthening their semiconductor industries and working with Taiwan.
"Japan is revitalizing its semiconductor sector, and India...has announced a semiconductor mission... It is interesting that both of us also happen to be working with Taiwan," he said.